Syracuse, N.Y. ― The “Old Newsboys” nearly century-old campaign to raise money to help needy kids and families at Christmas kicks off Friday.
Volunteers will hit the streets to collect money for Hope for the Holidays — originally known as the “Old Newsboys” — drive. All of the money goes to the Christmas Bureau to buy toys, books and food for its annual giveaway to needy local families.
The 91-year-old campaign features employees of Syracuse.com | The Post-Standard and volunteers from around the community hawking papers across Syracuse and surrounding suburbs. The tradition began during the Great Depression when the money was raised to buy coal to help heat homes of families down on their luck.
Volunteers will be giving away the paper for donations on Friday and Saturday. You can find volunteers on street corners or in nearby businesses and shops. A donation of any size is accepted.
Last year, the bureau served 2,070 families and 4,941 children received gifts from the $43,000 raised, according to the Salvation Army. This year the goal is to raise $50,000.
The Christmas Bureau is a joint campaign for the Salvation Army and United Way of Central New York.
If you miss the volunteers
You can contribute by texting “31333″ and then typing in “HTFH2023,” or you can make an online donation. Online and text donations will be accepted until Dec. 31.
Joe Schiltz, of Onondaga Hill, hawks a special edition of The Post-Standard to raise money for the Old Newsboys Hope for the Holidays campaign in 2019. Schiltz was one of many volunteers from the Ancient Order of the Hibernians out hawking papers. Lauren Long | llong@syracuse.comLauren Long | llong@syracuse.com
Anne Hayes writes for syracuse.com and The Post Standard. You can reach her at ahayes@syracuse.com.
